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Female fans normally know more facts about what’s going on than men do anyway. I’d say they’re a more intelligent fan on top of that. They normally know more about what we’ve done than we know about what we’ve done. --- Tony Stewart

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There are female fans who take apart engines and will take you apart if you have a problem with that; who are drawn to the danger and mystery of the sport; who watch races on TV to witness pure passion and unscripted emotion; who love the camaraderie of these family-friendly festivals; who feel the nervous anxiety of the lip-biting wives atop the pit boxes. --- Andrew Giangola “The Weekend Starts on Wednesday”

When 11-year-old Sabrina Marelli of Dover, Del., entered her drawing in the inaugural Monster Mile Youth Nation Design Challenge she never dreamed she'd win. But she did.

The young artist — who wants to be a cancer surgeon — was surprised when she learned she won the contest, and would be treated to a VIP experience at the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash for Cash race.

“In school, our art teacher introduced the competition to us, and he had all the fifth graders enter a drawing. I was kind of into it, but I didn’t really think I was going to win. It was a big surprise when I found out my drawing won,” Sabrina said.

The art contest was created to attract a younger demographic to NASCAR. The Dover International Speedway Marketing team sorted through the 500-plus drawings and selected Sabrina’s entry as the winner.

“We particularly liked the vibrant colors in her design, and liked her inclusion of the ladybug, Delaware’s official bug, in the design,” said Gary Camp, Senior Director of Communications. “She also incorporated the Monster Mile on the door. We thought her design would stand out when converted to a wrap for our official pace car."

When Sabrina, her family arrived at the track, they were treated to a hauler tour with Erik Jones, driver of the No. 20 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota and current leader of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings. Jones, still in his firesuit from after earning the pole for the upcoming race, answered Sabrina's and her family's questions.

Sabrina's winning design on the pace car.Credit: Beth Reinke for Skirts and Scuffs